Audiology

The audiologists at Cleveland Hearing & Speech Center have over 100 years of combined experience working with people of all ages, from infants and toddlers to adults and seniors. We customize our services to your need.

Our Team's Mission
We believe that life is improved by successful communication. We are dedicated to helping people hear better so they can fully enjoy the people and activities that bring meaning to each day.

Hearing Tests

Audiologists at Cleveland Hearing & Speech Center can test the hearing of children and adults. We perform different tests to determine if a hearing loss is present or not. If there is a hearing loss we will determine:

The amount (or degree) of hearing loss

The type of hearing loss

If the hearing loss is permanent or temporary

How the hearing loss will likely effect the individual in their daily life

What treatment options are available

Test results are available immediately and the audiologist will explain the results to the patient and/or the family. Which tests are given will be determined by the patient’s chief complaint and areas of concern.

Cleveland Hearing & Speech Center performs the following tests:

Otoscopy

The outer, visible part of the ear is examined with an otoscope (ear "flashlight"). The audiologist is looking for signs of infection, foreign objects and a clear passage to the eardrum (no excess ear wax). This part of testing only takes a few minutes.

Middle Ear Testing/Tympanometry

This test measures the health of the middle ear system, whether there is a pressure problem, fluid behind the eardrum, perforation of the eardrum and whether the middle-ear bones are moving normally.

Otoacoustic Emissions (OAE)

This test allows the audiologist to put sounds into the ear. If the nerve endings in the ear are healthy and functioning properly, they respond with a sound of their own. The equipment picks up the sound (or emission) coming from the nerve endings. If emissions are not present, it may suggest that the nerve endings are not working properly. OAEs may tell us whether or not a hearing loss is present, but they do not tell us how much hearing there is. This test does not require the individual to respond, so it is often used with children or difficult-to-test adults.

Audiometry

Most people are familiar with this basic hearing test. It is performed in a sound treated booth. Different frequencies are tested (high pitched and low pitched). The person being tested wears headphones while the audiologist activates beep sounds from outside the booth. A simple hand-raise or button-pushing response is enough to record results. When testing young children, or a person with a disability, this test can be modified. For example, the audiologist may look for behaviors such as a head turn in response to the sounds. We often use an animated puppet to reward and encourage that behavior. We may also make the test a “game” where the patient drops a block or small toy into a bucket to show they have heard the beep.

Speech Testing

These tests are performed to determine how clearly an individual hears speech. The individual is asked to repeat words or sentences in both quiet and noisy, simulated environments.

Central Auditory Processing

Auditory processing consists of a specific set of skills that most of us perform without any difficulty. These include determining from where a sound is coming, hearing the difference between words and sounds that sound alike, hear rhythm, stress and intonation in speech, and listen to different messages in each ear. If a person has difficulty performing auditory processing skills, often they will have difficulties that are noticeable to parents and educators. Some common symptoms of an auditory processing disorder (APD), also known as Central Auditory Processing Disorder (CAPD), include difficulty following long or complicated verbal commands, trouble paying attention to and remembering information presented orally and needing more time to process information.

The audiologists at Cleveland Hearing & Speech Center can complete auditory processing testing on individuals 7 years of age and older. If your child has a diagnosis of another disorder such as autism, low cognitive ability, attention deficit disorder or language delay, it may be difficult to test for APD, as these diagnoses may be related to weaknesses in the auditory system. If you are interested in scheduling an auditory processing evaluation at any of our 3 locations (South Euclid, Broadview Heights, University Circle), please call 216-231-8787.

Early Intervention

Cleveland Hearing & Speech center provides early intervention services as part of Ohio’s Early Intervention program for children birth through age three who have hearing loss. The services are home-based and are offered free of charge to families. The video below describes how Evidence Based Early Intervention works.

Our early intervention program is designed to enhance the development of infants and toddlers with hearing loss. It is designed to maximize the child’s potential.

We believe all families have strengths. The services we provide encourage them to use those strengths to enhance their child’s learning. We offer support and resources that build a family’s capacity to meet the goals they have for their child.

Visits with families will be provided in the child’s natural environment which is typically the home, but may be in any location of the family’s choosing. Everyday routines and experiences will be the foundation for each visit. Visits can also be provided by tele-intervention if desired.

Basic repairs/ troubleshooting of personal devices when needed to support educational access

Support for Teachers and Staff

Resources and strategies for working with students with hearing loss

Teacher in-services for using assistive technology

On and off Site Evaluations

Full hearing evaluations at one of our clinical offices as needed

Auditory Processing Evaluations on site or in one of our clinical offices

Equipment Management

Organize and distribute district assistive technology

Manage warranties, repairs and storage of assistive technology

Make recommendations for new assistive technology as appropriate for student and district needs

Support for Parents and Students

Communication to parent and clinical audiologist regarding child’s assistive technology and any needed programming and mapping of personal devices

Support for School Hearing Screenings

Assistance with school-wide screenings

Equipment to screen difficult to test students

Rescreening including otoscopy and tympanometry

Support for Students

Provide presentations on hearing and hearing loss

Provide information on hearing protection

Safe Sound curriculum geared toward 3-5 grade

Reporting

Monthly billing including reporting of how time spent

Hearing Conservation Program for Children

In addition to the support provided through school districts, Cleveland Hearing &Speech Center also offers Sound Choices - an outreach and educational project designed by CHSC Senior Audiologist Dr. Laura Brady to teach children about hearing conservation, the hazards of loud sound and the long-term effects of exposure to loud sound.

According to the National Center of Disease Statistics, 5.2 million children between the ages of 6 to 19 years have hearing loss directly related to noise exposure. With personal music players, video games and electronic toys and devices, today's children are being exposed to louder sound levels than previous generations.

Although permanent, noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) is also 100% preventable. Just as we teach our children about other health and safety issues like wearing bike helmets, using sunscreen and eating healthy food, we need to discuss hearing wellness with our children. Unlike other health issues, NIHL is generally invisible; there are no overt visible signs such as blood, bruises or pain. It can, however, have negative lifelong impacts on academic achievement, employment and social relationships.

Although the definition of "noise" may be interpreted on a personal basis, it can be generally described very simply as unwanted sound. NIHL can be caused by repeated cumulative exposures to loud sound or even just one single exposure to a very loud sound. Noise-induced hearing loss can be gradual or instantaneous. We also know that hearing loss from loud sound is cumulative and builds over time. So even though hearing loss may not always be present in childhood years, NIHL may be evidenced earlier in adulthood than in previous generations. Any reduction in the overall lifetime noise "dose" will be good for hearing in later years.

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